Energize

Energize

Student Category

2010 Best Serious Game Student Category

Skills and Ideas Taught:The benefits and drawbacks of different energy sources and the difficulties in meeting the energy needs for a growing community.

Goal or Challenge: Players will discover that it takes a combination of renewable and traditional energy sources to solve today’s energy needs and finding an energy balance is more difficult than it may seem.

Primary Audience: Families with children age 10 and up.

Assessment Approach: Players who successfully adapt their thinking to using a balanced solution will excel at these three criteria (which are scored): 1) how much of the game map is successfully covered with energy consumers; 2) how much pollution was contained; 3) how well did the player provide enough power before consumers gave up and left the city. Positive reinforcement is used when players successfully provide power to an area by tallying the total number of new energy consumers on a customer satisfaction bar (of sorts). Likewise, negative reinforcement is depicted by consumers leaving an area without receiving power on the same bar. The player is also warned of too much pollution as it begins to rise to unreasonable levels.

Description: Energize challenges the player to provide electricity to a growing community while keeping pollution minimized. The player has five energy producers to choose from: fossil fuel, wind, solar, biomass, and nuclear. Each form has tradeoffs. A fossil fuel plant is cheap to build, but contributes to pollution. When a player relies heavily on them, pollution prompts residents to leave. Nuclear provides the best energy source, but plants are expensive to build and no one wants to live near one making for limited placement options. Summarily, the player learns that it takes a combination of energy sources to achieve a balance between economic needs and environmental concerns.

Game Engine: Adobe Flash

Operating System: Windows

Platform: Personal computer

Special Hardware: None

About SGS&C

The Serious Games Showcase & Challenge (SGS&C) is the premier venue for recognition of excellence in the field of Serious Games development. To learn more about Serious Games, please visit the Serious Games page and the Showcase to see examples of some of the best Serious Games in the world.

About I/ITSEC

SGS&C prides itself on helping foster creativity and innovation in Serious Games since 2006 as part of the Interservice/ Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC), the world’s largest modeling, simulation, and training conference held each November in Orlando, FL. For more information, please visit the I/ITSEC website.

Important Dates

August 1: Game submissions open

Sept 7: “Intent to Submit” form deadline

Sept 21: All games, application forms and supporting information due

Oct 12: Finalists notified

Nov 26 – Nov 30: SGS&C at I/ITSEC 2018

Nov 29: Awards at I/ITSEC in Orlando, Florida

Contact SGS&C

The best way to gain more information and get in contact with the IPT members is through email at: SGSChallenge@gmail.com